The Son of Neptune: the other immortals
by annabelle-avenger
Summary: Percy has no memory whatsoever. He only has his name, age, and his dad Poseidon. But with a few new friends will Percy be able to find his way back to Camp Half-Blood and his old life? Or will he be forced to forge a new life instead? Disclaimer!
1. Chapter 1: Nothing to Go On

**Hey guys, it's me. Reconstruction of the story you all know and love is under way. Hope you all enjoy and *cough* review *cough*. Here's the new and improved chapter one as of 10-11-11. Spoiler alerts, and all rights to Mr. Rick Riordan since I did use a substantial amount of his material in this chapter. I'm trying to intertwine The Son of Neptune with my story. Ergo his time at camp will be a chapter, maybe two, longer. Oh, and chapter 7 is almost complete. Once the other chapters are renovated (this could take up to two weeks at the max) the next one will be up. Cross my heart.**

_Chapter 1: Nothing to Go On_

Five months, twenty-one days, and five hours.

That was how far I was into my new life. I had an old life; I just didn't remember it. All I knew about that old life was that my name was Percy, I was a son of Neptune, and I had no memory of any of this.

Name, dad, and no memory was not a lot to go on, so I had started a new life at what everyone called Camp Jupiter. Everyone being the campers, or children of Roman gods and goddesses. The only safe place for people like us. Here we learn to fight and survive in the mortal world where monsters dog our every move.

I know it sounds insane and everything but it's the truth. I'm a son of Neptune, god of the sea. Everyone here has an immortal parent, but no one was also a kid of Neptune, one of the big three. The others of the big three are Jupiter, king of the gods, and Pluto, god of the Underworld. Neither have any children either. Well, Jupiter had a kid. _Had_ being the key word. His name's Jason Grace and has been missing ever since I came here.

Thinking about the strange circumstances that surrounded my showing up, I got up, dressed, and slipped out the door as quietly as I could. The campers here all slept in bunkers, guys on the right, girls on the left with fifteen or so to each cabin. There were about twenty cabins in total.

These cabins were still strangely familiar to me. But then again, so was most of the camp. I still knew I had never been here before. I couldn't explain it. I couldn't explain a lot, though. As soon as I was a safe distance from the cabins, I broke out into a run. Camp Jupiter was built about a mile from the Pacific Coast, just south of San Francisco, but whenever I needed to think about things, like this morning, I would run from the camp to the coast and the sea where I felt most at home.

Things were simple at the camp, you got up, ate breakfast, trained, ate lunch, trained, ate dinner, trained, and then went to bed, all the while trying not to get involved in the politics that ran it. But there was something more complicated about my being here; I knew I didn't belong. I slowly drifted back to the first day of what I thought of as my new life, the day I fought two griffins.

* * *

><p>The first thing I can remember was me lying down on a beach wearing an orange t-shirt, shorts, a leather necklace with a bunch of clay beads, and no shoes. Sitting up, I saw some houses in the distance, but it was mainly sand and ocean. Over to my right there was the golden gate bridge some ways away. Then there was also a mountain. I knew that mountain; I just couldn't remember the name. I couldn't remember anything though; and that's what scared me.<p>

Right when I was starting to really freak out after I had figured out I couldn't remember anything a jogger ran by.

"Hey!" I yelled after her.

She stopped an turned around. I was really hoping that she lived here and could tell me where I was because otherwise ... Well, I didn't have much of an otherwise. "What?" she asked testily.

Okay, maybe I should have asked someone else, but beggars can't be choosers. I put my hand up in front of my face so I could see her better and asked, "What city is this?"

The girl gave me a look. She was my age and looked angry and upset. She was fairly tall and in good shape. Her long black hair was up in a ponytail and her dark, piercing eyes looked distant. "San Francisco. This is Marshall Beach. Why?"

"Ah, momentary lapse of memory?" I said. A really lame excuse that wasn't really an excuse anyway.

The girl walked back up to me, starting to look concerned, and said, "You okay? What's your name?"

"Ah..." How should I answer that question? I actually have no idea who I am, where I am, or how I got here? Maybe I can't remember anything? I think I'm going crazy? "My name is ... Percy. Percy Jackson."

That was a shock. I hadn't known that before I said it; but after I did, I knew it was true. Apparently the shock extended to my face, and the girl had noticed.

"Okay, Percy, how did you get here?" A glare was becoming evident the more she kept talking, and I couldn't shake the feeling that she knew who I was.

"Um..."

"Who are you?"

"Well..."

"Do you know anything about yourself besides that your name is Percy?"

"I didn't even know that until you asked. Weird and insane, I know, but it's true."

She studied me for a moment then opened her mouth, "I'm Reyna. I could help get you to a hotel or something. I don't know. You really don't remember anything about yourself?"

"Really, I guess I have amnesia or something. I dunno. But I would really appreciate you taking me to a hotel. The thing is I have no money either.

"No memory or money. Man, you're screwed," she shrugged and smiled as though this pleased her.

"Yeah," I said absently. My attention kept turning to the mountain. I knew that place, and it didn't bring any good, warm, fuzzy feelings up.

Reyna noticed my interest in the mountain and didn't seem to happy about it. "You know that place?" she asked casually.

"Ah, I'm not sure. I think I do. Ugh, who knows?"

"That's Mt. Tamalpais, more commonly known as Mt. Tam," she said slowly.

"The name sounded familiar, but it wasn't the name I associated with it," I commented.

"Maybe you know it by Othrys?" she asked, deadly serious.

That was it. That was how I knew it. "Othrys," I said slowly, chewing over each syllable.

"You know it by that name." Reyna explained. "Percy, you're a- a ... "

"I'm a what?" I asked, totally confused.

"Well, I can't tell you right now, but you're coming with me. I'm not sure what's going on, but it's better to check it out anyway. I know you're a- but I should still- never mind."

I knew going with some random girl who seemed to know me ... or at least know who I was probably wasn't the smartest idea, but in lou of any other options ... Besides there was nothing I was scheduled for that day, that I remembered anyway. "Fine," I said, suspiciously.

"Look, I'm trying to help you," she explained, but I could've sworn that she muttered after, "Not that you deserve it."

I know, crazy. I seemed to have lost any sense I had along with my memory, so I followed her back to the city. She kept looking around and her eyes darted every which way. "What's got you so freaked out?" I asked.

"Ah, nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing."

"Wait," I told her, grabbing her arm so she'd stop walking, "I don't know who you are or anything about you either except your name, Reyna. I'd love some answers."

Reyna looked agitated, but started talking. "I can't tell you much, right now, not until we get to Camp Jupiter. That's a camp of sorts where people like us train."

"What's Camp Jupiter? Train for what?" I cut in.

"That's not something I can't tell you yet. Normally it's much harder to find people

like us, and I never expected, but stranger things have happened."

"People like us?" I questioned.

"Another thing that will have to wait," she said apologetically.

"Great," I grumbled. Here I was going willingly with some girl who only talked in riddles. Unfortunately I didn't have another plan.

"Sorry, but-" Her eyes darted upward again and locked on two birds, or at least they looked like two birds. "Run," she hissed, pulling me along.

As the birds got closer I could tell they weren't really birds at all. They had wings, and their foreparts were eagle like, but otherwise they were all lion. "What are those things?" I called to Reyna as we darted into an alley.

"Griffins!" she yelled back.

"Griffins!" I shouted at her. "Like half eagle-lion things from mythology?"

"You're right about the half thing. Just not the fact that they're myths!" she exclaimed, clutching her side as she ran down the beach.

We kept running down streets and into alleys trying to evade the griffins; they seemed to be tracking us. Right as we thought we were home free, Reyna grabbed my wrist and pulled me into another side-street.

"I think we lost them," she panted. At the exact moment she finished speaking, an eagle's head turned the corner.

"I really wish you hadn't said that," I groaned, scared to see we where at a dead end, with a building to block off any escape.

"Me too," she moane.

The other griffin had appeared too, and they were slowly backing Reyna and I up to the wall. When I looked back over at her she was holding two gold daggers and poised to attack. "What the?"

"No time to explain," she said moving toward the first griffin.

It rose on its hind legs and shrieked. Both monster and girl began hacking away at each other, all I saw clearly was Reyna getting a pretty nasty cut on the cheek when the second griffin decided it was hungry too.

My hand went to my pocket automatically and pulled out a pen. I knew I had done this several times before and made the next movement without even thinking. I uncapped it. A three foot long celestial bronze blade appeared. The griffin seemed a little more wary about trying to eat me now. I slashed and hacked at the monster until I got in a lucky swipe and took off its head. Griffin number two exploded into dust.

Reyna was still fighting her own griffin when I came over and took care of that one also. She looked bewildered and stared at me for a long time. "I thought you didn't know ..." she trailed off.

"Didn't know what?" I asked, handing her one of the daggers that had dropped on the ground.

"You _are_ a half-blood!" she hissed, accusingly.

"A half-what?"

"Half-blood, you know, a demigod?"

That's when things began to click. Demigod, sword, griffins. "What do you mean by demigod?" I asked slowly.

"I mean a child of a mortal and, uh, god," she muttered sheepishly.

I looked back down at the sword. No way, well, yes way. It could make sense in a really weird, twisted way. "A god, as in Greek mythology?"

"Well, Roman, but yeah, basically."

"What's Camp Jupiter Reyna?"

"It's a camp where demigods train so that when monsters come to call we're not totally helpless."

"So monsters are here and gods?" It seemed so strange when I said, but it was true. I could feel it. It was almost like I had heard all of this before.

"Yeah, that makes you just randomly showing up on the beach where I normally run more likely."

"What?" I asked, because it didn't seen likely to me.

"You probably just got banged over the head while you were fighting some monster and now have amnesia."

"Fantastic," I muttered.

"The only thing is," she started, "that I've never seen you at Camp Jupiter, so you've had to have been on your own. How did you get the sword? And is that celestial bronze? Oh, yeah, sorry, you wouldn't know. Wow, you've got to be pretty good to last this long on your own. I mean what are you, seventeen?"

"Sixteen," I said. I wasn't sure how I knew that either, but the age sixteen was important for some reason. Well, that was another thing I knew now.

"Sixteen? You sure? Well, come on," Reyna said as though making mental calculation as though to check what I was saying was true while walking back into the streets.

"Where are we going?"

"Camp Jupiter, but first you need to see Lupa."

"Who's Lupa?"

"She's the ... camp director."

"Where is Lupa, exactly?"

"Sonoma."

We managed to get to Sonoma without many more incidents (in other words, no other human flesh-craving monsters attacked). Lupa turned out to be this wolf goddess who you really shouldn't mess around with. I had barely gotten through the door when she _tested_ me. In other words she attacked me without warning in some weird house that wasn't connected to the camp and apparently was miles and miles away from it, in Sonoma.

My sword was out of my pocket from her first growl. I passed, meaning I didn't get killed; but I did destroy a couple of pieces of old furniture in the process. Lupa kept eyeing the sword then looking at me after my _test_. She seemed to believe the whole I'm an amnesiac thing, though. After I explained (well, tried to explain) what had happened and her attack she deemed me suitable for training. Reyna took me to the actual camp after that. It was called Camp Jupiter or something. We arrived a little after midnight.

To get in the actual camp we had to pass through what first appeared to be a maintenance tunnel on the side of a hill, across the bay from San Francisco. Two guards/demigods stood at the entrance. When they saw Reyna and me they did some sort of weird salute, which I attempted to copy and butchered.

"Praetor," they said, bowing their heads as a sign of respect. Reyna just nodded and passed them. I quickly followed.

The tunnel finally ended, and we came upon a dimly lit valley. Torches glinted in the distance, giving off just enough light for me to see the buildings and different places. The moon was also bright, allowing me better vision, too, reflecting off the body's of water nearby.

Spread out at my feet was a bowl-shaped valley several miles wide. The basin floor was rumpled with smaller hills, plaines, and what I thought were forested areas. A small river cut a winding course from a decent sized lake in the center and around the perimeter, like a capital G.

The geography couldn't have been anything in northern California- different types of trees, hills, and a clear sky. The big inland mountain- what was it called, Mount Diablo? - rose in the distance, right where it should have been.

But I felt like I had stepped into a secret world. In the center of the valley, nestled by the lake, was a small city of white marble buildings with tiled roofs. Some had domes and columned porticoes, like national monuments. Others looked like palaces, with large doors and gardens. I could see an open, albeit empty with exception of the occasional night walker, plaza with freestanding columns, fountains, and statues. A, what had to be, five-story-tall Roman coliseum gleamed in the moonlight, next to a long oval arena like a racetrack.

Across the lake to the south, another hill was dotted with even more impressive buildings- temples, I guessed, not entirely sure where the guess had come from. Several bridges, maybe stone, crossed the rivers as it wound through the valley, and in the north, a long line of possibly brickwork arches stretched form the hills into the town. My first thought was that it was an elevated train track, but after reassessing the situation I came to the conclusion that it was more likely to be one of those Roman aqueduct.

The strangest part of this valley, however, was right under my nose. About two hundred yards away, just across the river, was some sort of military encampment. About a quarter mile square, with earthen ramparts on all four sides, the tops lined with sharpened spikes, along with the dancing shadows and flickering flames caused by the torches gave it a most sinister aura. Outside the walls ran a dry moat, also studded with spikes. Wooden watchtowers rose at each corner, manned by sentries with clearly oversized, mounted crossbows. Banners hung form the towers. A wide gateway opened on the far side of the camp, leading toward the city. A narrower gate stood closed on the riverbank side. Inside, fortress seemed bustling with activity, even at this late hour. Dozens of kids were moving about, all armed heavily.

Something about this place seemed very familiar, yet not quite right.

Forging onward, Reyna was sloshing her way through the river, motioning me to follow. I did so reluctantly. For some reason I really didn't want to. Then I really didn't want to when a voice that appeared to come from the river itself spoke.

"Graecus," it called from watery depths. I turned in Reyna's direction, but she was already sloshing through, probably unable to hear the voice.

"Uh, yeah?" I questioned not sure what else to do or what else I could do.

"You face a crossroads. You can choose to pass, get the chance to save and go back to your old life but at the price of terrible suffering and misery, or turn around, never look back, and live happily next to the sea. The choice is yours, but know this, young demigod. If you do pass, the curse of Achilles will be repealed. It is a Greek blessing after all, not a Roman one."

It said that last sentence almost with a chuckle.

"Cause that makes sense," I mumbled under my breath.

"What?" Reyna asked, turning back around, almost halfway through the river.

"Did you hear something?"

"No, just you. Why, what did you hear?"

"Ah nothing, must just be the river," I reassured myself more than her.

With a look Reyna turned back around and finished crossing the river. I did not want to follow. Pain and misery did not seem like the happy alternative to an easy life by the sea. Plus, something told me to never trust voices whose bodies you couldn't see, and even then, choose what you believe wisely.

But I couldn't turn my back on the chance to figure out who I was or what, I guess, I was. So, being the stupid idiot I was, followed Reyna across the river.

I immediately felt power resurge within me. By the time we had crossed what Reyna told me was called the Little Tiber; I felt fully recharged.

Moving quickly, Reyna led me through many gates on winding paths. Along the way I had had multiple mini heart attacks having seen shadows move of their own accord and whispers carried on the spoken by people who didn't appear to be there. Reyna called them Lares, House Gods. I had no idea what that meant, and I didn't ask. The burst of energy I had felt after crossing the river was quickly dissipating. Needless to say I was very happy when she finally stopped in front of the barracks he had seen from the top of the valley.

Reyna knocked on a door of the barrack that was the very last and farthest back you could get.. A guy she called Bobby opened the door. Reyna told him all about me that was currently known: my name was Percy, I was sixteen, and a half-blood. Bobby didn't look like he was taking any of this in as he lead me inside, pointed to an empty bed, and threw me some clothes he had gotten from a trunk, then he landed face first on his own bed.

* * *

><p>The next morning I woke up irritatingly early, like still pitch black out early. Finally giving up on the notion of going back to sleep after tossing and turning for almost and hour, I got up, dressed (jeans and the purple t-shirt Bobby had given me last night) and decided a walk would help my head clear.<p>

By the time I got outside, the sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon, giving the camp a whole new look to it. The banners from the night before were a deep, rich purple. Everything seemed bigger than the day before, too. Also, I could fully see what Reyna had called Lares the night before- ghosts. One ran in front of me chasing what I took to be a ghost dog. The others I saw, however, looked more hostile than anything else, which did not put me at ease. One even called me Graecus again, but it sounded more like greggus coming from the old man who probably would have spat in my face had he been living, but the sound of the word might have had something to do with the missing teeth.

"They're sort of our mascots," called a voice from behind me as I stared intently where the two Lares had evaporated.

"What?" I asked, turning to meet whoever had spoken.

It was a guy that way maybe my age, perhaps a little younger. He was chinese, with a stocky, muscular build. A bow and quiver was slung over his shoulder and he stuck out a meaty hand for me to shake.

"Frank Zhang," he said. Frank had a baby face that didn't go at all with the rest of his body, his eyes were a little to close together, and he had a haircut military style. Basically, he looked like a toddler who'd taken steroids and joined the Marines.

"Anyway, like a said, their kind of like mascots. Mostly they're harmless, but I've never seen them agitated."

"They're staring at me," I said, almost pouting. "That one dead dude called me Greggus. My name isn't Greg."

"_Graecus_," Frank corrected, making the word sound more like the voice I had heard the night before. It's Latin, means Greek."

"Is that bad?" I asked.

Frank cleared his throat and played with the end of his bow. "Maybe not. You've got that type of complexion, the dark hair and all. Maybe they think you're actually Greek. Is your family from there?"

"Don't know. Turns out I'm an amnesiac."

"Really?" Frank asked interested.

"Yep, got picked up and taken to that she-wolf, Lupa, yesterday. Can't remember a thing beyond that."

"Oh, bummer."

"Yeah," I agreed, letting out a rather loud breath.

"Or maybe . . ." Frank hesitated.

"What?" I asked, not sure what he meant or what he was talking about.

"About the_ graecus_ thing. It's probably nothing, but Romans and Greeks have an old rivalry. Sometimes Romans use _graecus_ as an insult for someone you's an outsider- an enemy. But like I said, it's probably nothing. I wouldn't worry about it."

He sounded pretty worried.

We started walking together, all the way back to the river, then we made our way back. This time I could really see were I was going and took in all the details the night and early morning ours had taken. We kept going until we reached the center of the camp were two wide, stone-paved roads met at a T.

A street sign labeled the road to the main gates as VIA PRAETORIA. The other road, cutting across the middle of camp, was labeled VIA PRINCIPALIS. Under those markers were hand-painted signs like BERKELEY 5 MILES; NEW ROME I MILE; OLD ROME 7280 MILES; HADES 2310 MILES (pointing straight down); RENO 208 MILES, AND CERTAIN DEATH: YOU ARE HERE.

For certain death, the place looked pretty clean and orderly. The buildings were freshly whitewashed, laid out in neat grids like the camp had been designed by a fussy math teacher. The barracks had shady porches were campers were just beginning to come out on, enjoying the morning sun. Each dorm had a different collection of banners out front displaying Roman numerals and various animals- eagle, bear, wolf, horse, and something that I could have sworn looked like a hamster.

Along the Via Praetoria, rows of shops advertised food, armor, weapons, coffee, gladiator equipment, and toga rentals. A chariot dealership had a big advertisement out front: CAESAR XLS W/ANTILOCK BRAKES, NO DENARII DOWN!

At one corner of the crossroads stood the most impressive building- a two-story wedge of white marble with a columned portico like an old-fashioned bank. ROman guards stood out front. OVer the doorway hung a big purple banner with the gold letters SPQR embroidered inside a laurel wreath.

"Your headquarters?" I asked.

"It's called the principia," said a very familiar voice. Turning around I came face to face with Reyna, looking quite different from the previous day. She wore a regal purple cloak over her armor. Her chest was decorated with medals. It was so obvious she was a leader here. Everybody was giving her space and nodded her direction before passing, but most prodded slowly along, probably to see what was going to happen and who was the new kid.

"So," Reyna began. "Good, I was just going to send for you," she said. It was polite in sound, by her face made him think she wanted to run him through with one of those daggers. "Everyone back to your duties. The new recruit and I need to talk. There will be an update on events at evening muster." With that, she turned and started walking towards the building, expecting me to follow her.

"Bye," Frank whispered before hurrying off to do whatever.

Others muttered not so nice comments before dispersing.

Things like "He's dead." and "Hope he goes into the Fifth Cohort. Greeks and Geeks forever." reverberated in my head.

Several kids laughed at the last one before a scowl from Reyna headed them off.

"Do I know you?" I asked, finally voicing the feeling I had had on and off while talking to her. "Like, besides yesterday and stuff. Thanks by the way."

She gave me a look when I said thank you and hesitated. "I am Reyna, praetor of the Twelfth Legion. And no . . . I don't know you beyond the events of yesterday."

That last part was a lie. I could see it in her eyes. But I also got that if I tried to argue with her in public, in front of her people, well, the look that she wanted to shish-ka-bob me wouldn't be a look much longer.

"After I'm done questioning you we'll send you to Octavian. The auguries must be consulted before you are dealt with.

"What do you mean 'dealt with'?" I asked, not liking the sound of that at all.

Reyna's hand tightened on one of her daggers. Obviously she was not used to having her orders questioned. "Before we officially accept anyone into the camp, we must interrogate them and read the auguries."

We had reached the entrance into the principia and before going in, Reyna turned to me and said, "Now Percy Jackson, let's see if we can improve upon that memory of yours."

**So is it good, bad, or ugly? Do you want more of the original SON? Or should I stick to the original stuff. Keep in mind once he leaves camp it's pretty much all original. Revised and edited chapter 2 coming soon to a computer near you!**


	2. Chapter 2: Out in the World

Chapter 2: Out in the World

Even as I kicked up sand and water along the beach I was still thinking about what memories I now had when a voice interrupted my train of thought.

"Percy!" called Reyna.

"Hey!" I yelled back.

I had forgotten I wasn't the only one who came to Marshall Beach when I needed to think.

As Reyna made her way across the beach I felt a pang in my stomach. Reyna had been the guy, Jason's, girlfriend, and had really been hit hard when he went missing. I felt pretty bad for her. I mean he left, no note, no goodbye, no nothing. In a nutshell, it sucked. Not just for Reyna, but Jason was sort of the leader around here. They had just won the Titan War, Jason had defeated the Titan Krios himself.

Now, after so much time, I had sort of taken over that position since I was the only other kid of the big three alive that we knew of. In a nutshell I was slowly integrating with the rest of the campers. Well, they hadn't given me evil looks every time I passed of them for months now. Once they saw that I was great with a sword and good at battle strategy, they welcomed me. The weirdest thing of all, though, was that they thought of everything in Roman terms, where as I thought in Greek.

"Earth to Percy," Reyna said, waving a hand in front of my face.

"Oh, sorry," I apologized, "I was just lost in my head."

She nodded her understanding. "Anything in particular?"

"Everything."

"That's a lot. Easy to get lost, I guess."

"Not if you only have five months of everything."

She didn't have a response to that, so she continued. "Anything special in this maze you've gotten lost in?"

I paused for a moment before I told her about my Greek/Roman dilemma.

"I'm not sure why you think in those terms. That might be how you learned them or maybe those are the only names you were told."

"Why do you guys go by the Roman version anyway?" I asked, never having known.

"It was how they ended. The personalities the gods kept. It fits," she shrugged.

I shook my head in response looking out at the ocean. As I stared I saw a man wearing bermuda shorts, a faded t-shirt, and a fisherman's hat holding a fishing pole. He cast out the line and then reeled it back in. Rubbing my eyes furiously, I looked again. There wasn't anyone there, let alone a man fishing. The thing was I knew that guy. I had seen him before, fishing in the ocean with me on the beach having come from camp. But it couldn't have been. Reyna had told me herself that this was the only camp for demigods in existence and that I hadn't been here before.

Reyna looked at me curiously and asked if I was okay.

"No, I think I'm honestly going crazy." She threw me a sideways glance so I tried to explain. "There are so many things that are ... familiar, but I just kept figure out how they are familiar."

"Look, it's just your amnesia. You've obviously learned a lot going rogue and everything. That's probably what you're sort of remembering."

"No, it's not that. Well, maybe, but I don't think so. There are things about camp that I know. And you said I had never been to camp before." I threw my hands up in frustration as I finished.

Reyna was silent for a long time before she spoke. "How badly do you want your memories back?"

I looked at her stunned. "Is there a way?" I choked out. The people at the infirmary had told me that I might never get my memories back. They had given me a lot of medication, but none of it had worked. All that I could do now was hope.

"Maybe. Look, Percy, I'm not for sure or anything, but there might be a way."

"Tell, me!"

"I might know someone who can help you out."

"Who?"

"It all started when the Titan War started," she said.

I nodded showing that I knew what she was talking about, and she continued.

"Things heated up really fast. There were monsters constantly at the borders of the camp trying to break through their magical boundaries. Lupa started to worry that they might. Ja- Jason and I overheard her talking to a few of the counselors. They asked what she planned to do about it, and she said she would talk to someone who owed her a favor."

"Who was it?" I interrupted.

She glared at me.

"Sorry," I muttered. "Go on."

"The counselors asked her that too. She wouldn't tell them. All I know is that the next day Lupa was nowhere to be found. Don't ask me where she went or what she did, I don't know," she told me, holding up a hand. "Lupa came back the day after with a young man. Let me tell you, he did not look happy to be here, not at all. No one seemed to know he was here either. I asked Hazel about it, but she thought I was crazy. I knew he was here, though, because I had seen he and Lupa were arguing."

"So Jason had this idea to follow him and see what it was he was here to do. That night we snuck out of our cabins and tracked him to the edge of the camp where he was standing with Lupa. They were talking, but not bothering to keep down their voices thinking they weren't being eavesdropped on."

"Lupa must not have taken you two into account," I said laughing.

Reyna playfully punched my arm then continued.

"Anyway, Lupa called the guy Snake and kept asked him technical questions about the barriers and he said it wasn't good. They were weak. Lupa asked him if he could fix it. He gave her this creepy little smile and said no. She told him that he owed her a favor and he said that he had fulfilled that by doing exactly what she had asked of him, coming and taking a look at the magical borders and telling her what was wrong."

"Lupa must have gotten pretty mad at that," I commented.

"You bet. She started cussing him out in, guess what, Greek. That's not really the point, but I thought that might be important, although I don't know how. The guy Snake just stood there looking amused. Finally he told her that he could give the borders more life force but that the camp would need someone with magical abilities to fix this."

"Life force?" I asked, not entirely sure what that meant.

"I've never figured that out, but he went over the barrier and placed both hands on it. A black power burst from his hands and jolted through the entire thing."

"Hmm," was I said.

"Back to the magic. Lupa said that she could just get some of the kids of Hecate that practiced magic to work on it. Snake told her flat out that that wouldn't cut it. He said this problem need a powerful magician. Lupa said she didn't know anyone stronger than a child of Hecate when it came to magic so Snake went on talking. He said they needed to be trained in the old ways, that the crap they were taught here wasn't anything more than a few parlor tricks. Lupa took offense and started cursing again while Snake just stood there. After awhile Lupa asked if he knew anyone who could help. He shrugged then just walked off."

"This Snake person just walked off?" I asked, incredulous.

"Yep, Lupa growled a lot then went back to headquarters. A few days later Snake was back. He said everything was taken care of; the big bad monsters wouldn't be back. And they weren't."

"So he did help you guys."

"Yeah, I guess."

"But what does that have to do with me?" I asked, not entirely sure where she was going with this.

"Everyone at camp has tried to help fix your memory, but even the practicing magicians couldn't. Snake could help with the border issue. Why couldn't he help with your memory problem. And even if he can't," she amended, "he might know someone who can."

Maybe it was just me, but that seemed like a long shot that Lupa wouldn't even let us take. "That seems like a leap," I pointed out to her.

"Yeah, but there weren't a lot of options to begin with, and this is sort of a last chance desperate move."

"Really?"

"Yes, but if you don't want to even ask Lupa about it," she trailed off as she stood up.

"No, I never said that," I responded quickly, getting up, too.

"We'll talk to her at lunch then?" she asked me.

"Sure, yeah, but I still don't think she'll say yes."

"I know, but it's worth a shot, right?"

"Yeah, maybe."

"Well, I guess we've gotta get back and get to work. There's that big tournament next week."

I suppose I better stop here and explain. MCS has a tournament every few months in order to commemorate their Roman ancestors which doesn't really make sense to me seeing as most of these people aren't descended from the Romans. It's just that one of their godly parent was Roman, even though they were originally Greek. Basically, they have gladiator fights that aren't to the death (usually). The last one they had I participated and actually won. Everyone was astonished that someone who was still sort of an outsider could win, but after that, I was one of the top dogs.

"Now?" I whined.

"Hey, we can't all have this ridiculous natural ability with a sword you seem to posses. Sorry," Reyna shrugged.

I made a face but followed her back to camp. It wasn't more than a few miles and we filled the time talking about who would place second in the games since I would obviously place first. Reyna said it would be easier to knock me out of running this time since my head was becoming an increasingly bigger target. I told her I would be fine and not to worry about me. She just rolled her eyes.

Once we were back the sun was actually up in the sky and everyone was getting up. I went back to my cabin to find a sleepwalking Bobby asking the time. "About five-thirty," I told him.

"Ugh," he muttered. "Remind me to tell Lupa that we need to set a later wake up time."

"Yeah, I'm sure she'll agree to that," I joke.

"Good point."

After breakfast and weight training I went to the colosseum to get in some practice before lunch and my talk with Lupa. There were a few practice dummies in the arena so I slashed and hacked at them until they were thoroughly destroyed.

"The expenses for equipment will continue to rise if you continue to do that," said a voice that sounded like a growl.

"Sorry, Lupa," I apologized, bowing to show respect. The campers were a little more lax with each other, but in the presence of a camp leader, counselor, and director, you showed the upmost respect for them.

She just stared at me with what looked like grudging pride, but I was still learning to read the emotions on a wolf's face; so I couldn't be sure.

"Reyna told me you wanted to talk to me."

"She did?" I squeaked. I thought she would be with me because, well to tell the truth, Lupa is perfectly terrifying.

"Yes, don't worry, she already explained everything. If that girl needs to learn anything, it's to be scared and hold her tongue." Lupa muttered the last part with a smile playing around her mouth/snout. "Anyhow, I cannot condone such a quest without something more concrete than _it might help you retrieve your memory_."

"I understand," I said glumly. Even though I knew it had been a desperate and an unlikely hope, I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. If you've ever had amnesia you'll know what I mean when I say you're chasing this feeling, this thought that you can't really pin down. I was getting sick of it, and I wanted it over.

"Unfortunately," she began again, "I just so happen to know that this crazed idea you two have cooked up has most of its basis in truth."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yes, you're lucky Reyna and Jason have no real respect for rules here and listened in to my conversation with Snake."

"Ah, yeah."

"Perseus, I must warn you, though, because I cannot impress upon you how dangerous it would be."

I started to protest, gesturing at the dummies that were no longer dummies, but she stopped me.

"I'm not talking about monsters, Percy. I know you and Reyna could handle those."

"Me and Reyna?" I asked. I had figured it would be just me.

"Yes, this would be considered a quest. Therefore, you would be able to take two other companions. I naturally figured Reyna would be one of them. And perhaps Bobby?"

"Ah, probably."

"Like I was saying, it's not the monsters. It's the people I'm worried about."

"The people?"

"Snake ran with a rough crowd way back when and I'm sure things haven't changed."

"What's his real name?" I asked. Hey, blame the ADHD, I just can't keep my mouth shut even if someone might be giving me vital advice that could be the key to my survival.

"I'm not sure. I do know he was the son of some servant girl in Corinth, Greece. Don't ask me her name either; I don't know."

"And his dad?"

Lupa looked a little uneasy when I mentioned his father. "Ah, he was never claimed."

"Uh, huh."

"He- he's a son of Pluto."

"What? I thought there weren't any other sons of the big three that weren't minor or major gods, or is he one?"

"He's not, his father would never allow it," Lupa scoffed.

"Never-?"

"They don't get along, it's a long story, and one I'm not allowed to go into with you. The point is he's not someone to mess with, Percy."

"Where'd he receive his training?" I said sarcastically.

Lupa just gave me a dark look and said that there was a reason he was feared among those who knew him. I figured she meant he had survived on his own.

"So he can help with my memory problem?" I asked hopefully, trying to change the subject.

"Yes, I do. The only problem with that is he might not exactly be ... forthcoming."

"Forthcoming?"

"He's not such a big fan of demigods."

"He is one," I pointed out.

Lupa laughed a harsh laughed, "That doesn't matter to him."

After she chuckled to herself a few more times she looked me straight in the eye. "Perseus, listen to me. I will give you permission to go on this quest because I see that you are suffering, and I need my best fighter and the camp leader in good spirits and able to use his mind to the best of his ability to fight the battle that is coming. Get your stuff together. You leave at dusk." With that, she turned and stalked off.

"Wait!" I called. "What battle? What fight?"

She didn't even turn around.

As the sun drifted lower and lower in the sky Bobby, Reyna, and I packed up and went to Lupa. Bobby had said sure, what the heck when I asked him if he wanted to come. Not that it would have been anything else. So it was about eight or so and she was standing at the camp entrance. She looked over the three of us with a nod of approval and asked if we had any questions.

"Ah, yeah," Bobby said. "How do we find this Snake dude?"

"I thought you might ask that at one point," she muttered, rolling her eyes. As she spoke a piece of paper appeared in Bobby's hand. It said: Doa Recording Studios, Valencia Boulevard, Los Angeles, California.

"What's this?" I questioned. "His work address?"

"No, it's the one of the entrances to the Underworld."

"One of the- What?" I asked. The Underworld- something that I had never thought about until now, but apparently there was one, and it had an entrance in L.A. Go figure, I guess. But the address, I had heard before. Of course, I had no idea where but still.

"One of the entrances to the Underworld, Perseus," Lupa explained slowly, like a was a kindergartener or something. "The world of the dead."

It was kind of annoying how she would always call me Perseus. Percy, that was what I had always been called (I knew that much); Perseus seemed, I don't know, almost alien.

"I get that, but are you saying he's in the Underworld?"

"No, just the closest run down bar. I told you he and his father don't get along. He wouldn't live IN the Underworld."

"The nearest-" I started.

"Yes, the nearest bar, a place where alcoholic drinks are consumed. I have already explained to you the type of people Snake runs with. Oh, and I'm sure since Reyna has already seen him, she knows what I'm talking about.

Reyna muttered darkly, "Yeah, he's got the total I'm a bad guy, watch out look."

"Scary as-" Bobby began, but at a look from Lupa stopped. "Yeah, well, before our luck runs out," he said with a smile, "maybe we should get a move on. I hate long goodbyes anyway."

"Well then, may the gods grant you a safe and speedy quest," Lupa said in farewell.

"Yeah, okay," Bobby said turning on his heel, and he walked out of the gates.

Lupa rolled her eyes then turned back to Reyna and I. "Watch yourselves. Reyna, you and Bobby are well trained- you two could take on the worse monsters; Percy, though I did not train you, you are an able warrior that could fight a titan and win. If you all keep your heads on straight then I have no doubt that Perseus will retain his memory."

"Uh, thanks," I muttered before Reyna and I too turned and walked out of those high, wooden gates and out into the free and monster-infested world.

**Chapter 3 three's almost done! Not sure when I'll update after that. It might be a week or two. Please read and review. I'd love to have ideas from you guys! Enjoy the story!**


	3. Chapter 3: Poised to Knock

Chapter 3: Poised to Knock

What do three demigods take when their on a quest to Los Angeles to retrieve someones memory? The answer- public transportation, the bus!

"It smells," Bobby commented as we sat waiting to depart.

"It's a bus," Reyna muttered. "It's not likely to smell like strawberries now is it?"

"Strawberries?" I asked, a mental flash of a strawberry field flying into my mind with a three story farmhouse in the distance.

"It was sarcasm- Percy, are you okay?" asked Reyna, worriedly.

"What, yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

"Your face was ... blank."

"I think I just had a memory flash."

"What?" asked Bobby with raised eyebrows.

"When she said strawberries I saw a field of them with a three story farmhouse in the distance!" I said excitedly.

"This is good, right?" asked Bobby, still a little skeptic.

"Yes it's good!" exclaimed Reyna. "His memory is coming back, Bobby. Maybe his anesthesia is lifting."

"I wouldn't go that far," I said quickly, trying not to get my hopes up.

"Luck if you ask me," Bobby mumbled, sinking down into the seat, trying to get comfortable, and going to sleep. Within a few minutes Bobby was quietly snoring away.

"I don't know how he does that," Reyna muttered, shaking her head.

"Probably the same way he makes nothing affect him."

Reyna let out a breath and continued to mutter.

Not long after, I dosed off, too. With my head against the glass and the bus trudging along the road. "Grover, Annabeth, get off the bus! Those three old women are furies!" I slurred already have asleep.

Bars are not my kind of scene. The majority of my experience with bars comes from movies and TV anyway. None of that stuff prepared me for the smell, however. It reeked of monsters. "Ugh," I moaned, "why does it smell like serious monster B.O.?"

"Monsters hang out in the bars here in L.A.," Bobby shrugged.

"Great," I said, breathing through my mouth.

Reyna just rolled her eyes.

"So anyway, which one do you think he is?" I asked, looking around.

The place was kind of a dump. The floor was wooden and every floorboard creaked whenever you moved. There were a few lopsided tables and chairs around the room and against the back wall was the actual bar. It was wooden too and high chairs accompanied it. Dim lights were placed randomly and there was a shelf behind the bar with various drinks that were an alcoholics dream. For someplace so rundown, it was surprisingly crowded.

"I dunno, but I can't wait to try the local cuisine," Bobby said with a yawn, still tired from the ride over here while Reyna gave him a pointed look that clearly said no alcohol.

It had taken about a half a day and he had slept through all of it. Once in LA we made our way to the recording studio, then backtracked to the nearest dump that was a bar (only three blocks away). But when we were at the studio I got the deja vou. feeling again.

"Reyna," I hissed, getting out of the way of what looked like an ogre. "Do you see him?"

Reyna scoured the crowd inside. "Not yet ... wait, that might be him, up there, at the bar," she told us pointing.

"Then what are we waiting for?" asked Bobby, striding forward.

As I walked behind Bobby and next to Reyna I studied the guy Reyna had pointed out. He was tall with pale skin and a shock a jet black hair. He was also wearing black everything- jeans, shirt, shoes, and a leather jacket to boot. The image reminded me of someone; I just couldn't remember who. In his hand was a glass with some drink in it that the man appeared to be very interested in as he was staring at it, not drinking it.

Bobby went right up to the guy and hopped on the stool next to him. "I'll have what he's having," Bobby said to the girl behind the bar who raised her eyebrows.

Reyna quickly interceded. "No you won't."

The guy in all black turned his head toward Bobby with the same expression he had given his drink.

"Lovely place, this," Bobby said to him with a smile, gesturing at the many tables with monsters and mortals alike sitting at them along with the flickering lights.

"Who are you?" asked the man, clearly amused.

"That's what we would like to know about you," said Reyna quickly, glaring at Bobby.

"Why?" the man drawled.

"Because we are under the impression that you are the man that goes by the name of Snake," said Bobby, still smiling.

The man paused for a moment, cocked his head, and bit his lip as if weighing his options.

"Oh, alright then. Yes, certain people call me Snake."

Reyna opened her mouth and scrunched her eyebrows together. "That's cooperative," she began slowly.

"You wanted to know my name, so I gave it," Snake shrugged.

"Yes, but usually people don't give out their names to complete strangers. Especially if the strangers are seeking them out."

"Trust me, I wouldn't have if I thought you were a threat, but you're not so ..." Snake let off. "Anyway, like you said. You sought me out, any particular reason or did you just fancy a game of manhunt?" he asked taking a sip of the drink.

"No," I interrupted both Reyna and Bobby who had begun to explain. "I've come to get my memory back."

Snake stared a few seconds, took another drink, and said, "I've stolen quite a bit in my time, mate, but someone's memory isn't on that list."

"I know, but we were hoping you might know someone who could help me."

"Nope."

"That's a lie!" Reyna exploded. "You know magicians who might be able to help Percy-"

"Percy?" Snake asked with a raised brow.

"Perseus," I agreed.

Snake's lip quirked up at the name, but he said nothing.

"Can you help, or do you just not want to?" demanded Reyna.

"I could help, that's true I suppose," he said tiredly. "The real question is how you know I could help. Perhaps you could enlighten us all since you seem to know quite a bit about me?"

"I- I overheard you when you came to the camp and talked to Lupa," Reyna sputtered, taken aback by his dangerous tone.

"Did you now?" he asked, amused once again. "Well, now, Reyna, some people consider eavesdropping bad manners."

"How did you know my name?" she asked, incredulous and a little scared.

"I know a lot of things, Reyna," Snake began standing up and bending down so they were eye level. "I know that you've had yourself a pretty tough life. Always the one who had to be responsible wether it was your mother, your boyfriend, hell the whole camp right? Hermes isn't the paternal type either, so don't even bother asking him for advice. Trust me."

"How did you ..." Reyna trailed off, bewildered.

"Like a said, I know quite a bit. Enough, anyway," he said, waving a hand airily while sitting back down again.

"What about me?" asked Bobby, intrigued.

"Well now, Bobby, you'll need a bit more than luck to get the answers to that question," he told him with a wink.

The corner of Bobby's mouth quirked up and he smiled.

"Do you know any magicians who could help me?" I asked, before Bobby could continue his own line of inquiry.

"Mmm," Snake muttered taking a drink. "First off, don't call a magic user a magician. They don't like it much. Makes them feel like all they do is parlor tricks on the Strip in Las Vegas. Sorcerer or sorceress is best. Makes them feel important or some stupid nonsense. Witch and Warlock work just as well for down to earth sorts, but wizard doesn't because it makes people think of an old guy with a white beard that waves a wand."

"Okay," I agreed. "Do you know a sorcerer or a sorceress that could help me?"

"Sure I do. I know lots of them, wether or not I'm willing to give you their business card and if they'll even help you is an entirely different story."

"Business card?" asked Bobby, frowning.

"Some even have websites nowadays," Snake told him seriously.

"Hmm," Bobby said mulling over this new information.

"Stop playing games!" exclaimed Reyna.

"Look, Blondie, rule number when trying to get someone to help you is to not piss them off. Think we can do that?"

Reyna just glowered off to the side.

"To be honest," he continued, "I know only one person, a witch, that could help. To take away someone's entire memory especially for such a long time takes some serious juice. But I'm not so sure she'd want to. She doesn't like getting mixed up in the gods' business."

"You can tell her that the wolf goddess Lupa sanctioned this quest and that two veterans from the Second Titan War along with a son of Poseidon demand that she do her duty and help the children of the gods."

"Wow," Snake said yawning. "That was some speech, and boy, you should be glad it was me that heard it and not my friend. She would have ripped you to pieces and not thought twice about it. But for the record, Second Titan War my ass."

"She wouldn't dare kill a demigod- the gods would flay her alive if she really is a sorceress. They don't like that kind much. And watched you tone."

"No," Snake agreed, "they don't. But she would dare. She'd do it just to prove that she wasn't afraid. Oh, and you should watch your tone. Besides, even if I do agree to tell you where to find her, Percy here would be the only one going."

That got an immediate outburst from both Reyna and Bobby.

"Guys, guys, guys!" I yelled over them. "Can we ask why?"

"Yes, you can," Snake said with a grin. "She's also very distrustful and would definitely kill me if I gave you her address, so ..." Snake shrugged and turned back to his drink.

"So that's it?" asked Reyna in complete disbelief. "You aren't going to help us, like, at all?"

"Ah, didn't you just here me? I like living; it feels good. So unless you want to experience death I suggest you leave," Snake said in a menacing tone.

"But-" Reyna began, but I grabbed her arm and Bobby's and pulled them both out of hearing difference of the Snake character.

"Drop it, Reyna." But when Reyna looked like she wanted to argue I continued. "He's not helping us, not now. And he was right, ticking him off sounds like a very bad plan."

"Agreed. Well, maybe we'll get lucky," Bobby grinned.

Reyna and I just rolled her eyes and we talked about getting a room for the night around there when a man came up.

"Excuse me," he said with timidly, looking at the daggers in Bobby's belt. "I'm Drake, and I couldn't help but overhear your- uh- predicament."

"Yeah?" I asked, not sure why he had been eavesdropping.

The man just stood there nervously, playing with a frayed edge of his jacket.

"Well?" Reyna prompted as we waited.

"I- He's right you know," Drake said quickly.

"Who?" Bobby asked.

"Snake, she would kill you and him."

"Who?"

"Soph. That's what they call her anyway. She's really good, too. I had lost two fingers, but somehow she brought 'em back."

"You lost two fingers?" asked Bobby, interestedly.

"Yeah, one of those dracnae. I don't do business with them anymore- after the incident," he shrugged, holding up his hand with two of the fingers. Each had a thin, red line at each base.

"So are you claimed?" Bobby continued.

"Claimed? Oh, not a demigod, pure mortal," Drake told them sheepishly.

We all must have looked very confused because he kept on talking. "Monsters and demigods aren't the only ones who know about you know who's."

"Really?" I asked.

"Sure, mainly it's those with sight, though. The whole population doesn't have it, but a substantial amount do."

"Okay," Reyna muttered unsure of herself. "Well, can you tell us where this Soph is?"

Drake slipped a paper napkin with an apartment number and address on it to me. "I feel bad for you kid. All that life gone, so I hope she helps you. Just don't tell her where you got it," Drake finished with a significant nod, then walked out of the bar.

"What was that all about?" asked Bobby, who had somehow gotten himself a beer.

"Bobby!" said an exasperated Reyna, as she grabbed the drink out of his hand and set it down on a nearby table.

"What?" he asked, completely oblivious.

Reyna just shook her head, then turned to me. "You aren't seriously thinking about going. Are you?"

"It's the only lead we have, Reyna." I wasn't going to budge on this. We finally had a real definitive way of getting back, well, me.

"Well, there's no way you're going alone," she told him defiantly.

"Ah-" I started, wondering how to explain it.

"No way, you can't be that crazy! You might get yourself killed for doing something like that! Besides, this address might not be correct."

"I'd remember the apartment of the crazy lady who attached my fingers to my hand again," Bobby pointed out.

"Bobby, you're not helping!" Reyna cried out as we all made their way back to the street.

"Look, Reyna, if it'll make you feel better you can wait right outside."

Reyna still didn't look comfortable with the idea no matter how many times I tried to reassure her as we walked to the bus stop.

"I'm not saying this is a bad idea ..." she began slowly.

"Yes you are," Bobby laughed, eating one of the tacos we had picked up for dinner. "I think it'll be fine. Percy's practically indestructible anyway, and we'll be right on the other side of that door. Luck's on our side."

We all continued to argue throughout the bus ride and even as we checked into a cheap motel on the outskirts of LA. The night was uncomfortable and what I'm pretty sure now were roached scuttled under the beds and in the corners. None of us slept really well, but Reyna and Bobby eventually drifted off. I, however woke up at three in the morning and was unable to go back to sleep.

Hit by a sudden wave of determination and stupidity I got dressed as quickly and quietly as I could, careful not to wake up either Bobby and Reyna or the cockroaches.

Once outside I set off with the napkin in hand. Luckily where we were staying wasn't more than a twenty minute walk to the address on a napkin, even if it was in a bad part of town. Since it was the ungodly hour of three in the morning no traffic; but, like I said, it was three in the morning so all the, ah, shady characters were out. Thankfully I can run fast and had found the right apartment building (building may be to strong a word, multiple level shack or tower of bricks might work better) fairly easily.

Graffiti lined the brick exterior of the fire escape like stairs I took to the third floor. Cigarette boxes as well as cigarette buts along with crushed beer bottles and an assortment of other litter covered the outside walkway. I followed till I found apartment 108, the very last door on that side.

I raised my hand to knock, looking at the napkin in my other hand to double check that this was the right address when I stopped. This was absolutely crazy. I wanted my memory back, but did I want it back this bad? Snake, who seemed like a pretty badass guy himself, was scared of this person, and if he was shouldn't I?

Mulling over my options as well as the pros and cons I didn't notice the clicking of a door being unlocked. I didn't even notice it at first when it opened all the way it would with the chain still in its place. I didn't even notice it when a head peered out at me, with only half a lightly tanned face, with what looked like died blond hair (the roots were still dark), and dark, almost black, eyes stared. To consumed by the napkin in my hand it took the girl peeping from behind to door to talk before I realized she was there.

"Are you planning on making up your mind today or tomorrow? I'd prefer today because I have an appointment tomorrow and will be tire when I get back, and it won't be till late anyways," she said in bored and slightly arrogant voice.

I just stood there, speechless, my hand still poised to knock.


	4. Chapter 4: Greeks and Romans

**Wow I didn't honestly think I'd be able to write this so fast. Whether it's good or not I'll let you decide. Read and Review!**

Chapter 4: Greeks and Romans

"Uh, what?" I asked, dumbly, not entirely sure what to say here.

The girl, Soph I presumed, just rolled her eyes once again, closed the door, took the chain down, and opened it all the way.

"Well, you better come on in and tell me what you're doing here," she said, tiredly, motioning for me to come in.

Taking the initiative, I walked into the apartment and looked around. It wasn't as bad as I thought it be. Better than the outside anyway, even if it was fairly small. I was standing in what I presumed to be the living room which was furnished with only a couch, coffee table, old TV set, and chair. Books and odd objects were everywhere, covering every surface, along with quite a few bottles.

Behind the living room, on the left set the kitchen, which only had a refrigerator, sink, stove, microwave, and a kitchen table with two chairs. Oh, and there were two cabinets.

The back wall of the living room was host to two doors. Maybe a bedroom and bathroom? I wasn't sure, and it didn't really matter anyway. The most interesting part of the room was the girl before me anyway.

She was maybe eighteen or nineteen, just a year or so older than me. She was short, too, no more than five foot four. Her hair was up in a messy bun and was bleach blonde, but, like I said, with dark roots. And the eyes were just a shade lighter than the pupils.

"Done gawking, or should I give you a little more time to collect yourself?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

"Oh, uh," I mumbled, stuffing the napkin in my pocket. "Are you Soph?"

"Sophia Maxime," she confirmed.

"Um, I was told you could help me."

Sophia just stood there, waiting for me to continue. "Help you with what?"

"Oh, uh, my memory?"

"What about your memory?"

"It's gone. I woke up on Marshall Beach about five months ago, and I can't remember anything before that. Well, I know my name's Percy, I'm sixteen, and a son of Poseidon. That and I keep having little flashbacks. Usually it's just a scene or something, though, nothing more," I said in a rush.

"Perseus," Sophia said, chewing over my name, her mouth quirking up on one side just like Snake's had. "Snake send you?"

"Ah, no, actually. He said you'd kill him if he told us where you lived."

"Quite right," Sophia said, nodding.

"Wait. What?" I asked, self-consciously playing with Riptide in my pocket.

"He knows better, but Drake, on the other hand, does not."

"How did you-?" I began to ask, but she cut me off.

"Ever since I replaced his two fingers a few months back he's turned from crook to saint, sending everyone with an injury or problem to me. Good business, but bad for my ... health."

"Oh, I can go if you want me to," I told her, hoping she wouldn't send me on my way and actually help.

"Oh, you're here, and at three in the morning I might add," she muttered plopping down in the chair, and offering me the couch, which I took gratefully. "Might as well, see if I can do anything, but at a price."

A price? Great, I finally thought I had caught a break, but apparently not. "What price?" I asked slowly.

"A favor, since I'm guessing that money is not something you have in abundance."

"What kind of favor?" I said, not sure whether or not to agree.

"Not sure yet," she said with a dismissive way. "It could be for you to never speak of me again, or help me move, nothing that'll kill you, I promise," she said grinning.

I wanted to say yes; I wanted to say yes really badly but ... A favor? I didn't think she would make me do something crazy or stupid, but I still wasn't sure.

"I can get your memory back because I know you took it, but if you don't want to make a deal ... Well ..." she dropped off, looking at me, and plopping her feet on the coffee table and examining her nails.

"No, not at all, wait. Snake said something about my memory being stolen, but how could someone have taken my memory?"

"Anyone with enough power could have, and usually it would have taken a little while to figure out who but in your case, you are the second person in the past year to have this little problem, and I think you know who I'm talking about."

"I have no idea," I told her.

"Sure you do. Jason Grace ring a bell?"

"Jason lost his memory, too. He's alive?" I exclaimed. What was Sophia talking about. How could she even know?

"Sure, he's back at your camp, filling in your shoes. He's doing exactly what you are, but he's made a little more progress at this point, but that's kind of by default."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, rubbing my temples. My head was starting to ache.

"Just hold this up and look into it," she muttered, holding out a reflective ball. I held it but nothing happened.

"What is this supposed to do?" I asked curiously.

"Sh," Sophia shushed. "I need to concentrate." She put her hands over mine and suddenly, the ball grew translucent and an image grew before me.

Two people were sitting in front of a fire, drinking tea or something. One, a man with a dark beard was in a wheelchair. I knew this man, no idea from where, but I did know him. On one of the couches sat a woman with a long braid of white silver hair and a maternal face. Even with her maternal look, a cold air was about her, like this was not someone to mess with. Then she began to speak.

"Thank you Chiron, I needed that," the woman said.

"My pleasure, it might be a bit early, but I find a nice cup of tea can wake one right up," said Chiron.

"I have not been sleeping well, since, well since you know ..." the woman trailed off.

"I understand," Chiron simpered sympathetically.

"Thank you," the woman said again, nodding.

Then they went back to tea drinking and staring into the fire.

"They have my memory?" I asked, not sure if it was the woman, Chiron, both, or none.

"No," Sophia said, her eyes shut. "The woman took them, Hera. I'm sifting through her mind now to try to find them. It's just taking longer because there's a bunch of crap and random stuff in here as well."

"Hera? Like queen of the gods, heavens, and Olympus?" I asked, alarmed.

"Yes," Sophia said, gritting her teeth. "Now shut up!"

"Sorry," I whispered, and looked back down at the seen in the sphere.

Nothing happened for a minute or two, but then a smirk appeared on Sophia's face and Here doubled over, spilling her tea and grabbing her head.

"What's going on?" Hera shrieked to Chiron who had rolled over to her.

"You're getting a taste of your own medicine," hissed Sophia proudly.

A stream of memories poured in my head. When I broke my arm in the second grade, all the different schools, Grover, even Nancy Bobofit, Annabeth, my Mom, Paul Blowfish, Smelly Gabe, Camp Half Blood, and all the quests and adventures.

"Wha- What?" I spluttered, shutting my eyes tight, trying to hold onto each memory as it came through. In the background I could hear Hera's continued shrieking to my old teacher, Chiron.

Sophia groaned, opened her eyes, and looked eagerly at me. "Did you see them?"

"Yeah, I- my memory! It's back!"

"Yep, and the best part is Hera doesn't have them anymore."

"Wait, did you see all of them too?"

"Only glimpses," she shrugged. "Sh, I want to watch this." And with that we both looked back into the sphere.

"What is it, Queen Hera?" asked Chiron urgently, now that Hera was sitting up and being quiet.

"Percy's memory is gone."

"What?"

"Someone has retrieved Percy Jackson's memory," Hera said through gritting teeth, rubbing her forehead.

"How?" Chiron asked, bewildered.

"I don't know."

They both just sat there in disbelief for moment before Hera spoke again. "I managed to retain one memory but nothing else. The attack on my mind was sudden and strong. I can only hope they didn't get anything else."

"Drama queen," Sophia muttered under her breath. "There's nothing of value- that's yours in that head anyway."

I laughed, but went back to listening when Chiron asked the inevitable. "Which memory?"

"The location of Camp Half-Blood," Hera said gravely while Sophia cursed under her breath.

"Why have you chosen to keep the location of both the Roman Camp along with Camp Half-Blood a secret? Without the camps being able to come together, doesn't knowing about each other seem pointless?" Chiron questioned.

"I will tell that Leo Valdez when he and the rest of the Hephaestus cabin have finished that flying boat contraption the coordinates," she said superiorly. "Now, Chiron, if you do not mind, I will go back to my room and try to figure out what to do next."

Chiron nodded, and Hera got up and walked out of the room.

"She can be so ... annoying, for lack of a better word," Sophia said, letting go of the sphere (making it turn back to the metallic looking reflective sphere) and sat back in the chair.

I was to much in my head, savoring the feeling of having my memories back to really listen to what Sophia was talking about.

"Perseus!" she finally said, giving me a look.

"Sorry," I said sheepishly. "Thanks. You have no idea what this means to me."

She just raised her eyebrows, then went back to examining her nails, letting me go over almost my whole life, but she got bored after about half an hour and started talking again.

"I thought it wouldn't take this long for your whole life to flash before your eyes," she said, clearly bored.

"What? Oh, sorry," I said, blushing.

"No you're not."

"Well, no."

"Aren't you the least bit curious?" Sophia asked, leaning forward.

"Curious about what? I finally know what I've been doing for the past sixteen years, well my whole life. What's there to be curious about?"

"There are a million things to be curious about!" she exclaimed. "For one, what was Hera doing with not only your memory, but Jason Grace's as well. Why does she want the Roman and Greek camps to merge? Why have they been kept apart? Who's Leo Valdez? What flying boat? Come on, Percy, think!"

"I have no idea," I said, not entirely sure what she wanted me to say anyway.

"Exactly!" she yelled with a joy not appropriate for the circumstances, standing up. "Don't you want to know?"

"Yeah, but it doesn't really matter. Once that Leo guy finishes the boat they'll come to MCS. I'll find out then."

"I won't," Sophia complained, more to herself than anyone else.

"Come to the camp then, I'm sure that if you could tell I was at your door you'll be able to tell when a flying boat is invading the city."

She just laughed at him for a minute before explaining. "There is no way in hell I am ever going to set foot on another a hero camp so help me god."

I just blinked confused at two things. The less important of the two was that she had said god and not gods, it had been awhile since I had heard anyone say oh my god, rather than gods, but that really didn't matter. What did was why she refused point blank to go to MCS.

"Why?" I asked, slowly.

"Why what?" she snapped.

"Why won't you, you know, set foot on another demigod camp ever again?"

"Oh, bad experiences," she said lightly, waving her hand.

"Okay," I said, not at all convinced.

"So, I'll be going now?" I said, well asked really, as I stood and hedging towards the door.

"Fine, fine," Sophia muttered, waving her hand at me this time, distracted.

"Thanks, again!" I called over my shoulder as I all but ran out of the apartment.

"Uh huh," I heard her mumble as I closed the door; she was still obviously deep in thought.

Running all the way back to the motel I was to winded to answer any of Reyna's questions for about ten minutes. Bobby just stared at me from the bed, still half asleep by the looks of him.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" I told Reyna hurriedly since she had correctly guessed where I had gone. "But I just had to, you know?"

"No!" Reyna shrieked. "I don't know!" And once again Reyna began to rant about how I had no respect for my fellow demigods, my personal safety, quests (I think you get the idea), etc. when Bobby cut in.

"Reyna, sheesh, the real question you should be asking," he mumbled, rubbing his eyes, "is whether or not his little escapade paid off. And I think, by the size of the grin on his face, that the answer is a yes. Right, Percy?"

"Yes," I said, breathlessly.

"She actually helped you?" Reyna asked, her mouth a thin line.

"Yeah, well, yeah," I said. "And won't believe what else she did!"

"What?" asked Reyna curtly.

"She handed me this weird reflective thingy. It looked like a crystal ball, but it was metal."

"A veneficae speculum?" asked Bobby, whose voice was muffled because of the pillow he had plopped onto.

"A what?"

"A witch's looking glass," Bobby mumbled.

"Maybe," I said shrugging. "But that's not really the point. It's what she did with it that was so strange."

Reyna looked at me expectantly while Bobby snored a little bit.

"I saw a living room and a guy named Chiron, who is the teacher at the other camp was talking to Hera-"

"What do you mean, other camp?" asked Bobby, lifting his head off the pillow.

"Oh, yeah, you two wouldn't know about Camp Half-Blood. It's the Greek version of MCS," I explained. "I'll tell you about it after I finish the story. Like I said, Chiron and Hera, yes Juno I know, were talking and and having tea. It turns out Hera stole my memories, but Soph got them back for me. Anyway, Jason Grace is alive, Reyna! The same thing the happened to me, happened to him to, or something. He's at the Greek camp! And Hera and Chiron are planning on merging these two camps by sending some dude called Leo Valdez on a flying boat to MCS that's currently under construction!" I finished dramatically.

Reyna looked appalled, and Bobby was a mixture of confused and sleepy.

"So you're saying that there's another camp, only the Greek version?" asked Bobby, trying to figure it all out.

"Yep," I agreed.

"There are both Greek and Roman demigods?"

"Uh huh."

"And you and Jason, what, switched places?" he continued.

"Seems that way."

"So Juno and this Chiron guy want the two camps to come together?"

"Yes."

"Why?" Bobby asked, flopping back down on the bed.

"No idea," I told him.

"This doesn't make any sense," Reyna said, more to herself than anything.

"What?" Bobby and I said in union.

"Juno is supposed to be in Olympus, they cut off all communication months ago. What would she be doing in this Greek camp? What would Jason be doing in the Greek Camp?"

"Still got nothin'" I told her, sympathetically.

"Well, that's it," she said in a very final kind of way.

Bobby and I looked at each other, but seeing that neither of us had the answer turned back to Reyna.

"What are you talking about, Reyna?" asked Bobby sleepily.

"Percy said that the boat was under construction. Why do they need a boat to come? Why can't they just come now?" she said impatiently.

"Safety issues?" I wondered aloud.

"I say we forget that and go now," she said.

Bobby and I just gaped at her for more than just a second.

"Reyna," Bobby began gently, but I interrupted.

"I agree," I said. I was impatient to get back. Finally it made sense why I never felt like I fit in a MCS. I missed my friends, my mom, and my girlfriend. Home was what I wanted right now, and Reyna's way seemed like the quickest. "The only thing is, Hera seems to be making it a point to keep the location of both camps a secret from the other."

"Oh," Reyna said, face downcast.

Bobby, who still looked like he was trying to decide whether or not this was a good idea stopped and had a brilliant idea at the same moment. "Why don't you tell us about the camp, Percy. Maybe something will lead us in the right direction at least, narrow the location down?"

"Yeah, Percy, tell us about Camp Quarter-Blood!" Reyna said excitedly.

"First off, it's Camp Half-Blood," I said, shaking my head and laughing.

**Sophia and Snake will both be back! When? Not sure, but they will. I'm thinking of doing a few chapters about what's going on back at Camp Half-Blood. Do you guys think I should? If you do from whose point of view and how?**


	5. Chapter 5: The Battle That Lies Ahead

**I know, I know, I know. I'm an awful person for taking forever to update. Sorry, but I do have a good excuse. I've started a new school in a new county that requires a lot of traveling time. That means less time typing. So, I'm sorry, and no more excuses! Here's is Chapter 5 in Leo, Jason, and Piper's various points of view! Enjoy!**

Chapter 5: The Battle that Lies Ahead

**Leo's POV**

Leo scratched his head with the screwdriver in his hand. "Over more to the right!" he yelled up at the rest of his cabin. Of all the things that could have taken forever, it hadn't been the boat but Festus' head.

"No, you're other right!" Leo shouted, pointing with the screwdriver. As his cabin shifted it into position with the rather large crane in the old workshop, Bunker Number 9 from the Civil War (both demigod and American).

"Of course it's not the freaking flying boat, but Festus that's the problem. I thought we understood each other buddy?" Leo continued, looking up into those big, mechanical looking eyes.

"Talking to yourself again?" asked a blond haired, brown eyed boy who was a good head taller than Leo who was on shorter side and clearly Latino. They were opposites in both physical appearance and personality. Leo was the energizer bunny who couldn't stop fiddling with his hands while Jason was usually calm and composed, never making any sudden movements and always thinking before acting. Yet, somehow, they were best friends.

"No, Mr. I'm The Image Of Sanity Since I Now Have All My Memories Back I am not," Leo said sticking his tongue.

"All but one," Jason muttered under his breath, not meaning for Leo to hear. Unfortunately for him, Leo had excellent hearing. Better than a hawk's, or maybe that was eyesight ... Leo weighed the options. Oh well, he had good eyesight too, so ... whatever.

"Yep, I'm not sure why Chiron had us build this whole levitating ship thing since you have failed to supply us with coordinates as to this mystical camp where apparently it's kill or be killed," he teased.

"It's not a mystical camp or kill or be killed, Leo," Jason said sternly.

"Survival of the fittest then," Leo said nonchalantly turning his attention back to the large, mechanical, dragon head that was almost, but not quite, fitted as the masthead.

"It' not the- Fine, sure, yeah. It's survival of the fittest if you want. And we do know it's around San Francisco. Besides, I didn't come to argue with you."

"Really?" Leo asked. "Not that far right!" he yelled up at two of his half siblings who were positioning Festus.

"Yeah, Leo, really. She's almost done, huh?" Jason asked his friend, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking pointedly at the Argo II.

"Yep, the Argo II. She's my baby, Jason. I'm such a proud daddy!" Leo gushed, pretending to wipe away a tear.

Jason just rolled his eyes.

"So what did bring you here then?" asked Leo as he gave the thumbs up to his sibs, and they began attaching the masthead.

"Oh, yeah, the hunters are here. We're having a council meeting later after dinner."

"Cool," Leo said, his eyes lighting up at the thought that Thalia would be here. He knew she was a lost cause, but he couldn't help himself. Not that he ever could.

Jason rolled his eyes again. "You do realize ..."

"Yeah, but what's a guy to do?" he shrugged.

Jason shook his head and laughed softly. "I don't know, Leo. I don't know."

"Well, you need to start figuring it out. Especially when we get to that camp and Piper comes with us."

"What do you mean?" he asked sharply.

"Why else haven't you made a move on her? It's so obvious that since you got your memories back you remembered you've got a girlfriend!"

"Sh," Jason said, putting a figure to his lips since Leo had been shouting. "The whole world doesn't need to know."

"It won't; it can get really loud in here. You can literally feel the walls vibrate."

"Fantastic. And Piper and I are just friends, Leo."

"Uh huh. Yeah right. Not that close together, Jane!" Leo yelled at one of the campers attaching the masthead.

"What are you talking about? We're not dating or anything."

"Nope, but that doesn't mean that every time you two are together you don't make googly eyes or gravitate towards each other, Bro. It's so easy to see. I mean most of the campers have bets on when you and Piper will finally go out."

"What!" Jason exclaimed, at a loss for any other words.

"I said they-"

"I know what you said, Leo. That's just ridiculous! I mean, we don't- We've never- It's just-"

"That you already have a girlfriend back at the Roman Camp." Leo just stared and waited for his friend to admit it. It had been close to six months since their friendship had started (Leo didn't count the months before hand that the mist had made him think he knew Jason). Summer had just started and Piper had just come back from visiting her dad's for a few weeks, and Jason looked almost depressed during that time. It was so funny (and a little annoying) to watch them iris message each other every night. The girl over at the Roman Camp must be a hell of a girl because Jason genuinely seemed to be falling in love with Piper, which totally grossed him out.

But that wasn't the problem. It was how secretive his best friend could be- especially about the Roman Camp. He was the lone wolf that wouldn't let anyone in. It could be really annoying, but Leo wasn't going to complain. After all, after the Argo II was up and running he would get the whole story soon anyway.

Jason let out a long breath. "Yeah, Reyna." Then he walked off to the training arena.

"Wait! What!" Leo called after him. "You can't just drop a bomb like that and then walk off, Bro! Jason!"

But Jason just kept walking.

**Jason's POV**

Jason sat down at his table in the dining pavilion. Being the only son of Jupiter (Zeus in Greek terms) meals were a lonely affair. He was the first to get there after the horn indicating it was time for dinner.

As he sat down to the single place setting he thought back to dinners at MCS. They were loud and rowdy, but there was a hint of order here and there. Order and Discipline. These two words were what the Roman Camp had revolved around. Looking at a group of campers who looked like they were shooting rubber bands at each other ran in laughing and yelling. This was a prime example of the difference between a Roman and Greek. The Greek demigods were free spirits that lived and laughed and loved. Where as the Roman demigods worked and trained and fought.

Jason sighed. He wasn't sure if he liked the Roman way better or the Greek. In his heart he would always be a Roman, but the Greeks were growing on him. Piper and Leo were his best friends after all. Hopefully he wouldn't have to chose. That was the plan anyway. Combine the camps- at least until the giants were defeated, and that could take some time.

"Hey," a melodic voice greeted, breaking him out of his reverie.

"Hey," Jason said, a smiling spreading across his face as he took in Piper and her brilliant kaleidoscope eyes, which he never seemed to be able to stop staring into. Leo had been right; he did like her. It was just he couldn't hurt her and Reyna, that wasn't him.

"So will your dad, like, smite me down if I sit here for a few minutes, until my cabin gets here?"

"I'm not sure," Jason teased the native American looking girl with uneven, choppy hair before him. "But I am sure that you could probably sweet talk him out of vaporizing you."

Piper rolled her eyes and plopped down next to him, playing with her leather chord necklace which had yet to hold any of the beads the campers were so fond of boasting about.

"Heard from Leo that the Argo II is almost finished. Hey said its maiden voyage isn't more than a week off."

"He said that?" Jason asked, amazed that the Vulcan cabin had originally said it would take a year at least when they had managed to finish it in half that.

"Well ... it was more of a yell mixed with a whoop and a bunch of other stuff; but, yeah, that's what I got out of it."

Jason laughed softly to himself and caught himself just staring at Piper and admiring her smile. He had to stop it. It was just torture to both him and her. Besides, Reyna was a perfectly great girl. She was almost as beautiful as Piper with her dark blonde, wavy hair and chocolate eyes. The main difference was that Reyna didn't give a damn about the rules and had a little bit of a nasty streak in her, where as Piper was just kind and nice and loving.

"Sounds like him," he chuckled.

"Yep," Piper agreed, but before she could say anything else, some of her half-siblings from the Venus cabin waved her over.

Piper stood, and paused for a moment before bending down and giving Jason a peck on the cheek. He just stood there, shellshocked, as Piper practically skipped to her own table.

"Wow," said an amused voice that was coming from behind him. "You are so whipped."

"Thalia," Jason muttered greeting his older sister with a glare.

"Sorry, didn't think you were that sensitive."

"I'm not-"

"When it comes to her you obviously are," she said shrugging. "You mind?" she asked, gesturing to the long, albeit empty table.

"Sure, but wouldn't you rather eat with the rest of the Hunters?" he asked, all anger evaporated.

"I think they can live without me for one meal. Besides, I missed my little brother, and I remember what it was like eating here by myself." She sat down and started to dig in. "Frankly it was depressing."

Jason laughed again.

**Piper's POV**

Piper McLean was still uncomfortable with some of the tasks that came with being a head counselor, the main being council meetings. She didn't speak out often unless she was mad, and that didn't happen to often. In short, she just sat their and stared at Jason. His presence calmed her, and it never mattered what situation they were in; he just did.

And sitting was just what she was doing now. As she sat waiting for the remaining counselors to file in, Piper bit her bottom lip in anticipation. Everyone knew what this meeting was about and why the Hunters were here. The Argo II of course, would be discussed since it was nearly finished, but there had been some reports of giant activity in the Southwest: Telephone poles upturned, buildings destroyed, etc. were all over news reports. Most mortals had put these occurrences down to earthquakes, tornadoes, or building code violations, but the demigods knew better.

"Earth to Piper, earth to Piper!" Leo called out with his hands cupped around his mouth. She snapped out of her reverie and sat up straighter, just now realizing that almost everyone was there.

"What could get a daughter of Aphrodite in such deep thought," Leo teased. "I thought you were all blondes."

Piper feigned slapping him then retorted, "It just so happens I'm a brunette Valdez, and don't forget that I could make you do anything I want _because_ I'm a daughter of Aphrodite."

Leo pretended to be offended then went off to annoy Travis Stoll, one of the counselors for Hermes, who was currently trying to pickpocket a lieutenant of Artemis named Geni something or another, but unfortunately for him she caught Travis and had his hand pinned down on the ping pong table with a long and dangerous looking knife.

Travis' face contorted into a mask of pain since the dagger had grazed the edge of the skin and was now lightly bleeding.

"Geni," a strong, commanding, yet calming voice chided. "Release Travis, if you would be so kind," Chiron said, completely unfazed.

The Geni girl just unstuck the knife, gave a little bow to Chiron, then a stunningly beautiful smile to Travis, and went to sit next to Thalia Grace, Jason's older sister, who was head of the Hunters of Artemis. Thalia gave this girl a mean look then turned back to her brother with whom she had been talking.

Piper let her gaze wander over to Jason who gave her a small smile, which she returned, before turning back to this Geni girl. She hadn't seen her before, she thought. The Hunters had visited twice, only for a day or two, to check in and report anything suspicious going on. Piper had talked to Thalia and a couple of the other girls a few times during these quick stays, and she felt she knew most of them. Geni, however, must be new.

Geni was very beautiful, perhaps as beautiful as a daughter of Aphrodite, but the looks of the girl's long wavy, auburn hair, bright green eyes, perfect body form, and beautiful olive skin looked forlorn and neglected. The hair didn't look particularly well kept. Her skin seemed scratched and the eyes appeared glazed over, as if she was remembering something from her past. Then there was the way her body moved. Everything, every twitch or fidget, seemed calculated and thought out. In short, Geni looked like someone who had been through a lot, and did not give off the vibe of a newbee.

"I would like to start off," Chiron began, immediately receiving everyone's attention, "by welcoming our guests, The Hunters of Artemis."

The council nodded and a couple of people clapped, but there was no welcome wagon. This didn't surprise Piper, though. She had been told by Annabeth that the Hunters usually just stirred up trouble when they came. In fact, the only Hunter Annabeth was able to stand was Thalia. Then there was the girl Zoe Nightshade who the daughter of Athena seemed to admire, but she had died when some of her friends had come to rescue her from the Titans. But things did seem a little better with Thalia in charge. There was a little more interaction between the campers and hunters (well, there was more civil interaction).

"Good, now that that's out of the way, we can get down to business. Mr. Valdez of the Hephaestus cabin has updated me on the situation of the Argo II, and it is his belief that after a few finishing touches and tests, it will be ready to go by the end of next week."

A cheer erupted from both hunters and campers alike. Piper stood and gave Leo a hug then laughed at the grin that had appeared ear to ear on his face.

"Yes, yes, yes. We are all very proud of what the Hephaestus cabin has been able to accomplish in such a short period of time. Now, the only matter that remains concerning the Argo II is who will accompany her on the maiden voyage."

That shut everyone up. The idea of riding a flying ship to the other side of the US to confront an apparent bloodthirsty camp was to say the least, terrifying. However, Jason stood, then Leo, and then Annabeth and Thalia. Shakily, Piper got to her feet as well, and Jason gave her a reassuring smile.

"That's five," Chiron counted. "Hunters, don't be shy. You are all more than welcome."

At that comment, the Geni girl stood as well, receiving another look from Thalia. Another girl Piper believed was called Phoebe stood alongside her sisters, too.

"Oh," Leo said, smacking himself in the head, "Nyssa's gonna come to. Jake'll be back in charge."

Chiron nodded. "The option for other campers and Hunters to go along will be given at the campfire tonight. Now, is everyone in agreement?" All present nodded.

"I almost forgot, too," Annabeth interjected. "Rachel wants to come as well. She's visiting her parents and won't be here till Monday. Usually she wouldn't be able to go on quests, not without the express permission of Apollo, but seeing as she can't get the permission form to him ..." Annabeth trailed off, looking pleadingly towards Chiron, who slowly nodded.

"A bit of future knowledge might not go amiss on this journey," Chiron said, almost more to himself than to anyone else. "Yes, she may go, but I don't want her fighting unless absolutely necessary. Am I understood?"

All those standing gave a solemn nod.

"Good. Now, these reports of giant activity in the Southwest. It seems to me that they're not doing any real damage yet, no deaths, just a few injuries. I'd prefer it not happen at all, but if they feel safe, the giants might not do anything to extreme if we let them be."

"What?" Clarisse, the head of Ares cabin, exclaimed. "We can't sit back while those-"

"I am well aware that this will be hard, but the truth is that we aren't strong enough to stop them on our own. If we put all our efforts towards combining the camps and contacting the gods we will actually stand a fighting chance. Something we don't now."

No one said anything, which Piper found unusual. There was not a single Greek demigod that did not have an opinion. And the Greeks weren't a quiet sort.

"Are we all in agreement on this plan?" When they continued their silence just nodded mutely, Chiron continued, "The best thing to do is to gather our forces and build up our strength for the bigger battle that lies ahead."

**I know I originally said that these would be short, just so you all could keep a timeline in your head of what's going on in both camps. But two pages became four, then a full chapter. In short, I lied. Anyway, these won't show up as often (maybe after the new trio gets going to camp half-blood you'll see another one with the maiden voyage of the Argo II)! Oh, thanks for all the story alerts, favorites, and the reviews! It's really appreciated, and let's me know if I'm going in the right direction! I made this story up for me, but I'm writing it down for you! I love to know what you guys have to say! So please keep it up, and let me know what you think of this chapter! You'll see Percy, Reyna, and Bobby talk to our knew fav magic user next chapter, so stay tuned!**


	6. Chapter 6: Fine, Done

**I'm am an awful person who can't seem to write consistently. Sorry, sorry, sorry. Good news though, I'm back (literally and metaphorically) and have a lot of writing to do. This chapter's a little shorter than the others, but not by much. Besides, it was the right way to end it, cliff hanger and all. Oh, by the way Octavian's name has been changed to Octavius. Long story that will be explained at bottom. Enjoy, and as always, read and review!**

Chapter 6: Fine, Done

I was getting tired of naming various ways to get to a place that didn't seem to have an exact location, or at least that particular memory as to the coordinates didn't appear to have come with the package.

"For what I have counted to be the sixteenth time, I only know east coast, up north maybe, really close to a body of water."

"Everything's close to a body of water," Reyna said, her face muffled by laying face down on a pillow.

"Okay, an ocean then," I said, throwing my hands up in frustration.

"An ocean? So, anywhere on either coast?" Bobby asked, sarcastically.

"No, the gods wouldn't have put the Roman demigods and the Greek demigods so close to each other. It would make more sense to have them, I mean us, on opposite coasts. Harder to run into each other and stuff," Reyna reasoned.

"The question remains," I said in an exasperated voice, "how do you get to a place that you don't know where it is?"

"Why not the labyrinth?" Bobby threw out. "It has an entrance directly into the camp. Then, technically we don't have to know exactly where we're going, so why not the labyrinth?" Bobby asked again.

"Because, Bobby, the ending of that story was the destruction of the labyrinth," I pointed out. "Besides," I continued, a shiver going through my spine, "I wouldn't go back in there without good reason."

"You don't think you'd use it to get back home?" Bobby asked with a raised brow.

I didn't respond.

"Even if the labyrinth was up and running," Reyna inputted, "that doesn't change the fact that we have no idea where this Greek camp is."

"It wouldn't matter if we had a mortal with the ability to see through the mist. That Rachel girl was able to lead Percy and his friends to places they had never been to. If we could do the same, Percy would be back among the Greeks in no time."

Bobby had a point, but that point alone wasn't going to raise the labyrinth again.

Voicing this though out loud, Reyna said, "But the labyrinth was destroyed, Bobby. Daedalus himself died with it."

"Ah, and that is where Percy's new friend comes in."

"What new friend?" I asked, completely confused, not that talking to Bobby didn't usually leave me scratching my head.

"That sorceress girl who gave you back your memory," he said as though it were obvious.

"Technically she stole it from Hera, who originally took it," I muttered bitterly, wondering why on earth Hera would take away my life, and plop me (almost literally) into a new one.

"Details," Bobby said, waving his hand as though swatting a particularly annoying fly.

"Plus there's no definite that she'll help us."

"Doesn't hurt to try, does it?"

"She just might if we do," I told him, remembering the look in her eyes as magic coursed through her.

"Well I'm going. Going to this Greek camp might give us answers about Jason, too," he said, looking pointedly at Reyna. "And she might be able to get you home without using the labyrinth, but it would be great if she could."

Reyna and I sat in silence. I did not want to go back. She had seemed welcoming enough, considering I practically barged in at 3 in the morning, but something told me that was a one time deal. But Reyna was about ready to give in and go with Bobby, Jason was going to pull her along.

"Fine," I relented, after Reyna had agreed. "You two are gonna need some back up."

"Oh, good, you got the visiting hours notice," Sophie said sarcastically as she opened the door and leaned against the frame as casually as though we were old friends having a chat over her threshold on a nice, warm summer morning.

"Sorry," I said sheepishly, shrugging my shoulders.

"And you brought friends," she continued in that sarcastic tone.

"Yeah," was my witty comeback.

She gave us all a good look over, eyebrows raised, then, as though coming to an expected yet unfortunate conclusion, kicked her door open wide and said, "Well, I'm not getting rid of you, obviously, and lucky for you, I'm bored."

"Thought you said that you had an appointment later today," I countered, a little annoyed at her attitude, but still no wanting to push it.

"Pfft," she chuckled, plopping down on the little chair, and gesturing for us to take on seat on the sofa. However, it turned out that as we were fully armed and armored, Bobby took one for the team and said the floor, his back resting against Reyna's legs.

"What do you mean, pfft?" Reyna asked, puzzled.

"I mean, I was meeting Octavius," she said, with a great laugh.

It took me a minute before I got it. "You mean Snake."

"Oh, yes, I forgot that's what everyone else calls him. I suppose they're all scared of him now a days."

"Of him now a days?" Bobby asked, mirth evident in his voice. "What? Was he a big teddy-" Reyna cut him off, giving him a small kick, and Sophie a tight smile.

"That's right," Reyna said.

Sophie just rolled her eyes. "What exactly do you want?" her tone changing from lightly sarcastic and amused to annoyed and irritated.

None of us said anything for the longest time. Sophie finally got up and went into the adjoining kitchen. From our position on the couch (or on Bobby's case, the floor) we could easily her as she moved around, making something or another.

As a small growl escaped my stomach, I fleeting hoped that it was breakfast, but after seeing what looked like a pair of eyes go in a steaming pot, I immediately lost my appetite.

"Is the labyrinth lost beyond hope?" Bobby finally asked quietly.

Sophie froze and turned towards us. "The labyrinth? That old toy of Daedalus'?" she asked curiously.

"Uh, sure," I said, trying to figure out how anyone could call a architectural structure that enjoyed toying with your mind and trying to kill you an old toy.

"No."

"No what?" Reyna asked for us.

"No, it's still around, just . . . dormant, I guess you could say."

"What do you mean dormant?" I asked, I felt like I had been asking a lot. "I heard it crash of it collapsing coming out of Zeus' Fist."

"Let me put it another way. The magic it possessed is still there, if one were to revive that magic, the labyrinth would reform." By this point Sophie had come back, the drink she had previously been making, a ghastly color of gray and steaming, in hand, and was now sitting in the chair.

"Would you be willing to bring it back?" Reyna asked, slapping Bobby on the back of his head as he tried to get a better look at the liquid. Sophie had sat down on the coffee table.

"For a price," she shrugged, taking a drink of the gray substance.

"Another favor?" I asked, knowingly.

She smiled slyly, and just shrugged. "You want to try it?" She asked Bobby, never taking her eyes off me.

"Huh?" Bobby said, as Sophie's head swiveled in his direction.

"Resolutio vapore, do you want to try?"

"Paralysis steam?" Bobby asked, his face screwing up trying to gather the common sense to say no.

"Very good, the ancient Romans called it this because it would stop any agitation in the body, allowing faster reflexes, stopped tremors, or, well, paralyzed you."

"The steam part?" Bobby egged her on, clearly interested.

"It will remain steaming, not matter hold cold it becomes."

"So if I drink it, I'll be paralyzed?" he asked, still interested in taking a sip for some gods known reason.

"Not if you only have a sip," she told him, not at all reassuringly, while holding out the cup. "Actually you'd have to have more than a sip, since you have ADHD. It would only steady your nerves and increase your reflexes briefly."

With a cock of the head and a shrug, Bobby downed nearly of the cup. Thank the gods it was a small cup.

Swishing it around in his mouth for a few seconds, Bobby swallowed it and coughed.

After a second, Sophie stood and went back to the kitchen, cleaning up the mess she had made while making the potion.

"How do you feel?" Reyna asked tentatively.

Bobby gagged, and continued gagging, clutching at his throat, his body jerking violently.

"Bobby!" Reyna screamed, quickly moving to kneel over him. "Percy help me," she called over her shoulder.

Without a second thought, I rushed to Bobby's side, pinning him down which proved to be stronger than anticipated.

Reyna was still screaming Bobby's name, and we were both trying to restrain him. Sophie, on the other hand was as cool as a cucumber, leaning against the kitchen counter and watching the episode unfold as cool as a cat.

"Do something!" Reyna yelled at her. "Do something!"

"Oh, you people are so emotional," Sophie groaned, while turning around and supporting herself by leaning against the kitchen counter.

"Help, please," I asked her, as calm as I could, silently freaking out on the inside.

With a flick of her finger, Bobby lay perfectly still, except his rapidly rising and falling chest as he tried to catch his breath.

"I thought you said I would be calm and stuff," Bobby said, more disappointed than anything else.

"You will be now. The . . . episode you just experienced wasn't due to the potion," Sophie explained, hoisting herself onto the counter.

"You did this?" Reyna exclaimed, clearly pissed.

"Well, I wanted to see your reaction, allows me to get to know you better and whether or not I should raise the labyrinth for you, you know."

"No!" Reyna exclaimed. "I don't know. What I do know is that Bobby almost died! And that you were responsible."

"Plu-eaze," she muttered, rolling her eyes for what I was pretty sure had to be the thousandth time since we had set foot in her apartment. "He was just in serious pain. And I learned that Bobby has a rather high tolerance for that, is willing to take a risk, and is curious. You care deeply for your friends, have some seriously annoying motherly instincts, and that Percy is the one with the head on straight, somewhat anyway, among the three of you."

"You could have just asked," Bobby muttered under his breath, rubbing a spot on his head that had hit the floor pretty hard when he was flailing around.

WIth a chuckle Sophie said, "But what fun would that have been. Besides, now you three know not to mess with me."

"We, or I, knew that before," I said quietly, not looking her directly in the eyes.

After a few minutes of recuperation, Sophie asked, "So ready for the labyrinth?"

"What?" I asked, amazed. I mean this was a little to good to be true.

"Yeah, sure. If you've got a hundred bucks."

So it wasn't true.

"Why?" Bobby asked.

"Hundred bucks short on my rent," she said, nonchalantly, pouring herself another drink, smelling strongly of alcohol.

"Your rent?" I said slowly, wanting to make sure I heard right.

"Yeah, Travis, the guy that let's me crash here, gives me a break on the rent. I feel bad when I can't even come up with the slashed rate. I mean, he's got two little girls to raise. It's depressing the think about, and makes me want to throw up a little bit."

"What?"

Shaking her head, "Man, I used to be take no prisoners, didn't need magic, rarin' to go. Look at me now, Mom would be ashamed, feeling bad for weakling mortals," she finished almost bitterly.

"O-o-k-k-ay," I drawled, not really sure where to go from there. Bobby, on the other hand, was scrounging around in his pocket, pulled what looked like a wad of just what we needed.

"As luck would have it," he said with an impish grin, "the grand total comes to $108. Takers, takers, and takers?"

Sophie held out her hand expectantly, and Bobby counted out the one hundred dollars. She recounted the money herself. Then, appearing to approve, she went over to a cookie jar and stuffed the money down in it.

"Now our part of the bargain," Reyna all but commanded with gritted teeth, "How do we even know you can raise the labyrinth."

"I've got more witchy mojo than you know, dear," she retorted, snidely.

We all just stood there, in what I thought was an awkward moment, but Sophie obviously didn't think so because she just kept staring, like she was sizing us up.

"Are you gonna do it or not?" Reyna finally asked, breaking the silence.

"Fine," Soph said curtly, walking over to one of the, what I had presumed to be a bedroom or bathroom door, and swung it open with a great flourish, revealing a swirling darkness. "Done."

**The Son of Neptune has recently come out. I had no idea until, like, two days ago. The long story short, I somehow ended up at a bookstore today and just so happened upon it. Guess Fortuna is in a good mood today (pun very much intended). Anyways, started reading and I have decided that I want to incorporate some of the book in here (i.e. Roman camp set up, Octavian *cough* name change reason for Snake *cough*, maybe Reyna's title and relationship with Percy, oh, and bigger part for those Hazel and Frank demigods). It will NOT change the story line I have in mind. Reyna and Bobby will still go on the quest with Percy into the labyrinth where a very strange world will appear. Just wanted to know, so my updating doesn't alarm anyone because you can't find the new chapter. It might just be a change in the previous chapter. Not finished with the SON book yet, so I'm not sure what will be added, but I like the idea of the camp set up, the differences from Greek, fauns (Don's a laugh), Nico, the Senate, and Octavian- a nightmare to stuffed animals everywhere. Let me know what you think! **


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